Darwin and his Finches
by Etherealfinch
Summary: Darwin moved back to England after studying the Galapagos finches, however, his many finches he brought with him caused him to settle in the remote south of the UK. Events in this desolate region create frayed relationships with his friends and lover.
1. Chapter 1

Celeste was Darwin's first finch he ever obtained. Through the many years he studied and tamed finches, Celeste was the only one he domesticated with ease. She was advancing in age, but Darwin still thought her feathers were as silky smooth as the first time he ran his fingers through her golden down. Ebony cascaded from the base of her wings to the very tips, ivory danced across them in a beautiful wavelike fashion. It wasn't common for a goldfinch to lack a dark face, but Darwin thought this unusual feature only added to her beauty. Just thinking about Celeste made Darwin crave her silky body.

"Enough," he stated quietly, "I can't take this anymore." His reverie caused him to seek her out. As he searched throughout his house, his many other finches greeted him with passion. "Not now!" He yelled, "I am in desperate need of Celeste. Tell me where she is." Dailan, the newest member of Darwin's sanctuary, abruptly discontinued consuming his nut mix and flew forward. In order to earn Darwin's love, you needed to prove your loyalty first.

Dailan tweeted gently into Darwin's ear, "no one has seen her today." Darwin's thoughts made him tense, although he was trying to stay calm. 'Where could she be? Could something have happened to her? What if she's hurt?' All of these questions raced through his head.

"Never mind. Just continue with your business," Darwin said bluntly and padded off towards the kitchen. Dailan sighed as he returned to his meal.

'Why is it so hard to impress him?' Dailan asked himself internally. 'All of us deserve some of his love. I guess I did pretty well, considering there is a huge lineup to get to Darwin.' Dailan smirked widely as he knew he earned himself a closer spot in the line.  
Darwin frantically scoured his fridge for some junk food to dissolve his sorrows in.

"Damn it!" He exclaimed, "no more cream cheese to go with my pickles." Darwin slumped down into a heap and began sobbing uncontrollably. After what felt like hours, he realized that sitting here and crying wouldn't accomplish anything. Darwin shot up from his miserable ball and began searching for Celeste in all of her favourite places, even if that meant endlessly searching the forest which surrounded his isolated cottage. "I can't give up. I need to sate my passion for Celeste!" He cried out. The door crashed behind him as he set off across the leaf ridden autumn ground into the endless forest.


	2. Chapter 2

As Darwin ran out the door to search for his companion, one of his finches dropped himself onto his shoulder.

"Calm down Darwin" Dailan cooed. "I'll help you look for her." Dailans big endearing eyes were piercing into his own, causing Darwin's heart to beat harder against his chest; causing blood to rush to his face and lower areas.

"Ummm," Darwin then snapped out of the tree finch's trance, as he remembered his main objective. "Well thanks for coming out to help me find Celeste," Darwin mumbled nervously, "It really means a lot to me!" Darwin's smile spread wide as did Dailan's, who fought vigorously to hold back his anger for his failed attempt in seducing his beloved. Dailan watched Darwin's back as he began his journey.

"It's been hours," sighed Darwin, "and still no sign of her." For a finch, Celeste was incredibly crafty; ensuring no one would be able to find her. 'Strange,' thought Darwin,'I most certainly thought that Celeste was only playing one of her games, as usual, but this time, something's… off.'

He turned to Dailan, who was fluttering to the left of him and shared his thoughts.

"Perhaps she's grown tired of your company?" Suggested Dailan, distaste littering his chirps.

The look Darwin gave him was enough to cause him to hang his head in shame.

"How dare you even suggest such a thing?" Darwin fumed, "Celeste is my love, my life, my everything, and you should know this! Especially considering that you are a novice member of the group."

"I…. apologize," Dailan said, only partially sincere.

Darwin only shook his head in response and continued trodding across the multitude of leaves and other forest lush littering the earth below his feet.

As dusk approached, Darwin began to lose hope at finding his beloved. They had searched endless hours, and almost every inch of the known forest and had still found nothing, not even clues to her whereabouts.

"Let us return to Haven," Darwin droned, "there is nothing more for us here." And the two begin to make their way home.

As the two approached Haven, Dailan took in the sites. The cottage had a rather fantastical look to it, with vines growing up the sides, to the moss that made up most of the roof. Castle looking columns made up two of the four corners of the cottage. However, unlike the stone which makes up most castles, the columns were made out of wood and had a sort of decrepit look to them, since moss, lichen, and other plants had made their home within the wooden panels.

Dailan watched as Darwin stomped into the cottage; anger in each step so he fluttered close behind.

"Don't, just don't," said Darwin, holding a hand up to ward off Dailan.

"Darwin please!" The bird pleaded as he continued to follow, "I don't think it wise for you to be alone right now!"

It didn't matter what Dailan said, Darwin just locked himself in his room alone. The commotion caused a few finches to flutter over from their sanctuary, to see what was going on. Dailan watched as his only friend he made in this place thus far made his way over to him.

"What's up?" Bormah drawled in his southern accent. Most finches in the sanctuary had adopted Darwin's English accent, since he was the reason they were all there. Of course there were exceptions, Bormah being one of them.

'What an awful name,' Dailan thought as he looked at Bormah. Despite his annoying southern drawl and his dumb name, Bormah was beautiful, Dailan thought as he felt his nether feathers fluff a bit, a true beauty in the finch world. He was a green warbler-finch, large for his kind, but no less breathtaking. His green body was more vibrant than most as well. Dailan stifled a moan as he thought about Bormah's attractive features. 'No!' He thought, 'the last thing I need is to sleep with another finch, only to further ruin my chances with Darwin!' He thought about himself then, a measly tree finch with a dark mossy head and an off-white body flecked with dark brown. 'Who am I kidding, if I don't even have a chance with Bormah, how can I expect to get Darwin?' He thought dryly.

"Hey, you awake in there, darling?" Bormah drawled. The "darling" sounding more like "daw-lin."

'Why do southern folks always call everyone darling?' Dailan wondered somewhat annoyed. "I don't know," he lied, "he's been off all day, and wouldn't even let me comfort him."

"I'd reckon it's Celeste," said Bormah, shifting so his feathers ruffled over his bulk. Dailan looked at him then, and chirped in agreement.

"Do you think we should do anything?" Said Dailan as he adjusted his position to account for his growing member.

"Nothin' for now," Bormah replied, noticing Dailan's "discomfort." He smirked as his eyes trailed from Dailan's fluff, back up to his eyes. Dailan seemed too distressed to notice however. "Let's get some dinner," he said, hoping he could ease some of Dailan's tension.

The two entered the sanctuary and made their way to the feeding ground. The sanctuary was rather large, as it was home to over 50 finches, each with their own private dwelling. Some preferred to share however, whether being family or a couple. The inside was basically an indoor forest, though slightly more lush than outside. There were areas for recreation, privacy, and meal time, pretty much everything a finch could ever need. To Dailan's disdain however, Darwin was always looking to bring in more finches.

"How many more will he bring in anyway?" He grumbled to himself, "this place is getting tight, and Darwin is getting old." Both statements were true. Darwin was getting into his 60's rather soon and there were chirps amongst the finches about it almost daily.

As they entered the eating area and sat at a table Bormah teased, "Alright darling, wanna tell Big Bormah what's got your feathers ruffled?"

Shocked, Dailan looked up at Bormah, the bastard smirking widely. Why was he friends with him again? "Nothing… it's nothing, I promise," was all he said.

"Look, I get it, you don't wanna talk about it, that's cool, but I think some dewlenk is just what you need to get your mind off things," Bormah laughed in a hearty manner. "Two delenks over here!" Bormah shouted to the waitress.

As the waitress made her way over, Dailan noticed how here talons clicked across the floor. 'Typical ground finch,' he thought and rolled his eyes.

"Here's your dewlenk," she said, and clicked away. Dewlenk was basically the moonshine of the finch world.

Almost immediately after consuming one drink, Dailan was drunk. Bormah laughed while watching the smaller finch flop around and act like an idiot. Bormah's sheer bulk alone was enough to consider him a heavy weight. In this case however, he was more like a tank.

"Alright darling, that's enough. It about time you head home," said Bormah, as he practically carried Dailan home.

Darwin's fists shook as he thought about Celeste. 'How could she do this to me?' He thought, enraged. 'We are lovers, if something is wrong, she should at least tell me, we are after all, in this together!' He was about to slam his fist into the wall but then thought better of it. He would only end up hurting himself, and would not heal fast due to his advancing age. 'Maybe she was mad because of… our open relationship?' Darwin and Celeste both were in an open relationship with each other, however, they always seemed to prefer one another, and he was considering asking if she wanted to pursue a monogamous relationship. He may never get that chance now. He thought about her body then, and immediately grew warm. "Celeste… mmm," he hummed, and decided to lay down on his bed. He pulled his shirt off then, rubbing his chest and then reached for a nipple. As he caressed his nipple with one hand, he reached for his belt with the other and slid his pants off down to his feet. Naked, he fondled his entire body to the thought of Celeste nesting within his abundant chest hair. "Celeste!" He yelled her name this time, and then reached for his now swollen member. He began to work it then, spitting on his hand for a smoother ride and was reaching his climax quickly. With one smooth rub, he came all over himself and on the bed. Darwin didn't realize how much he needed Celeste until that moment. He dozed off then, determined he would find her tomorrow.

Dailan woke upon his bed, the details of how he got there rather thin. He groggily looked around his room, the Hawaiian theme still there. He always liked Hawaiian culture. Then, from across the room, his eyes met Darwin's; a picture of them anyway. Even just looking at a picture was enough to send him over the edge and he began rubbing his thick hard manhood. Finches are far more flexible than humans, so self pleasure, really is a "self pleasure." Dailan reached down with his long neck and pecked at his member, thinking it was Darwin the entire time. His climax was immediate and he fought to hold back. Finally, he came, and the substance covered his entire room. Another difference between humans and finches he thought, was their abundant volume. He smirked at that, knowing he had a higher volume, than most finches. Feeling relaxed, Dailan drifted into a deep sleep, dreaming about being in Darwin's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

As Darwin slowly woke, he began to have thoughts about what occurred the night before. He flushed, thinking about her, no matter if she was near, far… or lost. He scanned the room only because he needed to gather his bearings, and then slowly pushed his plush pink covers off and slid out of bed. Darwin pulled on his only pair of beige cargo pants that he owned, then his swamp green worn tee shirt, and headed out of his room. He was swarmed by finches the moment he stepped foot into the hallway. He sighed, knowing that his only true bit of privacy was his bedroom; where the finches knew to leave him alone. Despite this however, their proximity still brought warmth to his loins. He stifled a moan and pushed passed them.

"Not now," he said, "it's still early, and I'm fairly certain that all of you have eaten. Go and get breakfast." Most of the finches flew off but there were some stragglers that stayed around until they took Darwin's unbroken silence as a hint that he wasn't in the mood to be bothered.

Dailan rolled over and fell out of his nest. "Ouch!" He proclaimed, "that was more uncomfortable than I would've imagined." He looked to where Darwin's photograph was and noticed it wasn't there. He jumped up in panic and began to scour the room. It has to be around here somewhere he thought as shifted through all his belongs, desperate to find his prized possession.

"Looking for this?" A sly voice filled with humour announced. Dailan startled, as he wasn't expecting anyone around at this hour. Standing in the doorway was none other than the one and only Bormah. "Surprise darling!" He shouted, "I decided I would keep this safe for you, since you know, last night and all…." his words slowly dying out. Dailan was sure the picture was there before he fell asleep, he remembered seeing it, but then he could be mistaken, he was drunk after all. He decided it best to not mention the already embarrassing situation.

"Why do you have that?" Dailan asked.

"I already told you darling, to keep it safe! I know how much this means to you, I'd hate to see you if you lost it…" he seemed to have a sadistic tone to his words, but Dailan figured he was imagining it.

"Thanks, I guess," Dailan replied, still slightly irked form this exchange. "Well, I'm going to find Darwin now, so I suppose I'll see you later?"

"I'll come with," said Bormah. Dailan rolled his eyes at this, and flew out of his dwelling, Bormah at his heels.

Dailan entered the food dwelling and sat down at a table. To his dismay though, Bormah sat his plump rump directly across from him. Wordlessly, he began to skim the menu. Dewlenk sounded rather inviting, even at this hour he thought. Maybe some roach to go with it. The waitress came by and he ordered. Bormah ordered only

water, which made Dailan question how long he had been up thus far. Dailan's mind soon wandered to thoughts of Darwin's flappy body, fur covered skin, nest-like beard, thinning scalp, and warm swamp breath. These thoughts made his nether feathers twitch in delight.

"You ok darling?" Bormah said suddenly, breaking him out of his reverie; icy blue eyes meeting his own dark brown ones from across the table.

"Not really Bormah. Yesterday was brutal, I am barely holding it together as it is. What if Darwin doesn't find Celeste, huh? What if he never finds her, and then doesn't return to his old self?" Dailan replied in distress.

"Hush now," Bormah soothed, "I have a feeling that near future events in Darwin's life will have a significant impact on how he is as a person. The Darwin you know won't be around much longer." Dailan's mouth fell wide open at his speech.

"How can you say such things?" He roared.

"Calm yourself," Bormah replied, his words taking an intimidating seriousness. "I only meant that this has never happened in his life before. These kinds of significant events change people, I've seen it one too many times." His green face and icy blue eyes suddenly looked old then, as if he'd lived through many lifetimes. Dailan's puzzled expression must have said enough as Bormah continued. "Nonetheless, you must adapt to new situations, though this does not mean you need to stop trying to help Darwin." Dailan nodded in agreement.

"Right… of course, my apologies," he said, turning to the waitress who had just arrived. "Yes, thank you." Dailan ate his meal silently as Bormah sipped his water and stared off into nothing.

After a short time, Dailan rose from the table and moved to leave the feeding dwelling.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bormah interrupted.

"You know exactly where, now let me go," Dailan responded, not kindly.

"I'm coming with you."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No!"

And without further discussion, Dailan took flight out of the room. Bormah followed despite Dailan's efforts.

Darwin let out a sigh as he packed some travel rations into his rucksack, thinking of his plan to find Celeste. "For the love of my finches I must find her!" He cried out and he ran for his front door. In his rucksack were food rations, a small knife, and a spare pair of socks. For some reason he only owned a spare pair of socks and no other clothes. Darwin closed the front door silently behind him, hoping no finches would hear him leave until he heard a familiar voice right behind him.

"Wait up!" It called. Darwin looked behind him and saw Dailan flapping his way towards him.

"How on earth did you find me?" He asked, certain he was as secretive as possible.

"The entire colony knows about Celeste by now Darwin. A more reasonable question would be to ask who didn't know where you were." Dailan replied. This was true, the word of Darwin's missing beloved sailed across hushed tweets within a single day.

"Then you know why I'm out here," Darwin stated. "Leave me, it is important I do this alone."

Dailan looked into Darwin's endearing hazel eyes and saw great sadness. His eyes were his most beautiful feature, Dailan thought. "You don't need to do this alone Darwin!" He shouted, "if you push people away, it'll be much harder to find Celeste!"

"Don't talk like you know what I'm feeling!" Darwin retorted fiercely, "now make a choice, leave me this instant, or leave the sanctuary forever." The ice in Darwin's voice was enough to send shivers up Dailan's back; as if he has lain in Jack Frost's cold embrace himself. Unable to reply to this, he remained silent. Darwin looked over to Bormah then. "Now who's this?" He spat, unable to keep his cool, "another finch wanting to "help" me find Celeste hm?"

"No darling," Bormah replied in a seductive and soothing tone, "merely here to lay my eyes on the great Darwin himself." He then winked and bowed as if he had met the Queen of England in person. Darwin blanched at this. It was very unusual to speak to a finch who wasn't so…. star struck, despite his words. The way he drawled his words… his icy eyes, his bright green large body, all sent blood directly to Darwin's loins. He shifted uncomfortably at how easily he was seduced by a finch who wasn't even trying to seduce him. How embarrassing he thought. "I am Bormah," his words breaking Darwin's thoughts.

"I see…" Darwin replied after regaining his composure. "Please, the two of you, return to the sanctuary." Darwin's voice was suddenly exhausted then and the two finches went back inside the cottage.

Darwin resumed his trudge through the autumn leaves that were scattered everywhere on the deciduous forest floor. Why did he decide to live in a remote cottage in southern England, instead of returning to his home in Shropshire? Right, the finches, he thought. After spending so many years alone with finches, Darwin knew he could never be apart from them. However, the prying eyes of any big English city would certainly question his many finches, and his many various activities he did with them. Naturally he decided to compromise; his desire to return to England and his love of finches landed him in a remote region in the southern reaches of the UK. It wasn't so bad though; having an entire forest to yourself; miles in every direction with only the company of adoring finches. Lost in thought, Darwin didn't see the looming shape about ten feet in front of him. The shape rose another six feet as it stood on its hind legs and let out an enormous roar. Startled by the sound, Darwin froze in spot. 'Crap,' he thought, 'I- I must run- no, that's not right.' Beyond all reason he couldn't think for the life of him. The bear charged at Darwin and whacked him like a rag doll sending him soaring into a tree about ten feet away, knocking out all the breath he held. Darwin's head ached from impact as he struggled to stand. He reached for the tree that broke his soar and used it to assist his rise. This was in vain however, since the bear was upon him again within seconds. It knocked him to the dirt once more and roared a breath that smelled of blood, death and something less familiar. It's paw came down and slashed the left side of Darwin's face, taking with it his eye. He shrieked in horror as his vision went in not one but both eyes. The bear released its death grip and backed up once more to prepare for another attack. He shook his head and thankfully his vision returned in at least his one eye. The bear began to charge again but with every ounce of strength that remained in Darwin's aged, beaten body, he spun out of the way and made a beeline to a small grove underneath a large oak tree. As he slid inside, the bear managed to slice Darwin once more, this time taking his left sleeve and much of the skin on his upper arm. He shrieked once again in pain as he watched the bear furiously scratch and dig at his hiding place, luckily to no avail. The bear paced outside of his spot for what felt like hours as Darwin's body became increasingly weak. His breathing shallowed as he lay motionless; pain raking each inch of his body; blood quickly leaving every hole it could get through. His mind drifted to Celeste then, and he prayed he could see her, one last time…

Dailan flew in circles around the park-like area of the sanctuary, wishing he was with Darwin the entire time. "Dammit!" He exclaimed, and picked up a rather large twig and hurled it towards a slightly surprised Bormah who had just come to where Dailan was throwing a temper tantrum. Bormah barely dodged it and gave Dailan a "you really just did this" look. "Sorry… sorry," Dailan tweeted in apology.

"You done darling?" Bormah drawled, raising what would be an eyebrow if he had been human.

"What are you on about now? For the love of- I seriously cannot believe I have put up with you for this long Bormah! You and your cocky strut, annoying voice, and stupid name!" Dailan hissed venomously. He knew deep down that this wasn't true but he didn't care at the moment. The daggers coming from his glare didn't seem to faze Bormah in the slightest. He only appeared to consider his words briefly before replying.

"I've always thought my voice was rather charming," he drawled, "melts even the thickest hearts." He winked then. "My name? Couldn't I say the same of yours?" Dailan couldn't reply to this as there was nothing he could say. "Stop your whining and let's find Darwin you self loathing heap," Bormah stated matter of factly and headed towards the front of the cottage. Dailan followed wordlessly.

The two finches flew through the forest with speed and ease; dodging trees left and right; avoiding any kind of danger that lurked in the forest.

"How far do you think he made it?" Dailan asked then, more to himself. It couldn't have been too far he thought, since the sun had just peaked below the horizon and Darwin moved slow in his old age. The finches were much quicker in their natural habitat with the help of small size and dexterity. They flew for about an hour shouting Darwin's name, looking everywhere for the man; darkness impeding their search. "It's been ages, and there has been no sign of him!" Dailan panicked.

"Hasn't there?" Bormah said, his usual cockiness icing his words. "I've been tracking him since we left, quite easily I might add. The old codger moves like a dragged corpse." Dailan looked stunned at this comment.

"How dare you say that!" He spat. "Darwin takes care of us, we adore him, and we love him."

"Sounds like a cult to me…" Bormah said whilst rolling his eyes, a bit louder than he meant. He startled at the volume of his words and worried he revealed more than he intended and glanced quickly to see if the other finch had heard. Thankfully though, it appeared as though his initial comment was still eliciting spiteful defence on Darwin's behalf. Bormah gave a quiet sigh of relief at Dailan's persistent obsession with Darwin. "Yes, yes, I understand," he said loud enough for Dailan to hear.

"Good, then we understand each other," Dailan said matter-of-factly. Bormah didn't hear a word of his previous banter so he chose to nod and smile which granted a nod in return.

Another ten minutes of searching and Bormah finally saw the first signs of something useful. "Over here Dailan!" He exclaimed as Dailan poked his head up from a tree stump and fluttered over. The two saw an oak grove covered in blood and immediately went to investigate. Inside they found an unconscious and extremely pale Darwin, who's left body and face looked absolutely destroyed.

"No!" Screamed Dailan, as he sped to Darwin's side, "no, no, do something Bormah!" Bormah hastily went to Darwin's side and examined his wounds. He cannot die, he thought, not yet.

"I'll return, stay here," he stated. Dailan looked upon Darwin with utmost yearning. He can't die, he won't die were all that repeated in his head continuously.

Moments later, Bormah returned with two talons full of herbs. He began to remove Darwin's shirt and despite the situation, Dailan flushed. "Water, now," Bormah ordered and Dailan obliged immediately. He bolted out of the grove and frantically searched for the nearest river, which happened to be only two minutes away. He looked for whatever he could use to put water in and settled for a giant leaf after no better material could be found. After he returned, Bormah went to work on Darwin right away and all Dailan could do was watch in horror as his quiet moans of pain only hinted at him possessing any remaining life.

Fifteen minutes passed and Bormah had finished applying the herbs to Darwin's wounds.

Another fifteen and he had finished sutchering and dressing the wounds.

Satisfied with his work, Bormah stepped back to allow Dailan to see Darwin's state. Dailan was horrified with the sight. Darwin's left face; massacred, his left arm from his shoulder down a bit past his elbow, streaked with three distinct lines from nasty claws. Dailan stifled a cry.

"He is stable for now, but only time will tell if he'll make it or not," Bormah said finally. Dailan barely nodded in reply, as he continued to gaze upon his beloved's shattered form. Darwin had never looked so vulnerable…


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days were agonizingly slow. Dailan watched Darwin the entire time, eating and drinking nothing.

"Have you eaten darling?" Bormah asked, his usual annoyingness coming through.

"Huh?" Dailan replied hastily.

"Clearly you need to eat something. Go, now," Bormah ordered. Dailan hesitated as Bormah approached him but hardly had the energy to resist when pushed out of the tree grove. He decided to quickly find some food so he could return to Darwin's side as quickly as possible.

After stumbling through the forest for about ten minutes, Dailan saw a bird berry bush that the crows definitely preferred over him but now was hardly the time to be picky. He picked about 30 with his talons and then ate a few before flying over to the river to drink and clean up. 'How did this happen?' Dailan thought to himself then, 'if Darwin hadn't been such a stubborn old fool, we wouldn't be in this mess.' He turned to find a leaf, or really anything to carry his berries back as something dark and shapeless darted past his right peripheral. Dailan startled, dropping all of his berries onto the forest floor and scanned his surroundings fiercely. The forest was eerily silent. An ice cold feeling crept up his spine and he had the urge to flee. He thought better of it though, knowing he, Bormah, and Darwin all needed these berries. Dailan quickly gathered up as many as he could in a leaf pouch carried by his right talon, and then some water in a pouch for his left. He had a terrible feeling of dread as he made his way back.

Out of breath and pale from his trip, Dailan flopped onto the floor of the grove with great exhaustion.

"Well darling, I'm expecting a full report if you think to spill in here as if you were chased by a hawk," Bormah stated, slightly annoyed. Dailan figured he too must be exhausted and decided to let his arrogance slip just this once. Was he chased by a hawk? No, definitely not a hawk, but it was certainly malicious and ill willed.

"I… I am uncertain of what happened out there. I think you may be right Bormah, not eating doesn't do us any good," Dailan said, hopefully convincing enough to not have to repeat what really happened to a finch who bothered him enough already.

"Of course I'm right darling," was all he said as reached for the bag of berries; devouring a good portion. "It's been a few days, and I'm not sure that Darwin is getting any better. It's like… something was off about that bear. Most that attack people finish the job, however…" Bormah trailed off then, unsure of how to finish his statement. Dailan had already looked away by then, unable to hide the tears now streaming from his dark chocolate eyes. He did not reply, as there was nothing he could say. Dailan looked to Darwin then, and took in the sight. He looked at least 80 years old, battered, worn, pale, skin taught and tight; dark spider veins on every inch of his body, seemingly concentrated on his heart. It was true what Bormah said, Darwin wasn't getting better, but he also wasn't getting any worse. It seemed as though he was in stasis; trapped between a realm of darkness and his home plane; battling to stay in the one he belonged. Even just looking upon his face, Dailan could see that Darwin was being pulled away.

"Bormah," he said after a long pause, "do you know of… magic?" He had hesitated a bit before that last word. Bormah just stared at him with his soul wrenching blue eyes before bursting into a belly laugh.

"Are you serious darling?" He finally said between laughs, "how could you say something so ridiculous at a time like this?" Dailan was furious at his response.

"It is not ridiculous!" He fumed, "look at him, it is as you say, he isn't getting better, but he's also not getting worse. I think there must be something else at play here!" Dailan paced as he spoke. Bormah seemed to consider his next words carefully as he hesitated before he spoke.

"You may be right, little dove, but magic isn't quite the right word." He smiled then. "Maybe poison? Although I am unfamiliar with the kind. Besides, how would a bear use poison?" Dailan wasn't sure at all how to respond to this so he thought for a moment before replying.

"Maybe someone put poison on the bear's claws to make it seem like an innocent bear attack," Dailan suggested, however, he knew it was rather ridiculous and judging by Bormah's expression, he thought exactly the same thing. "Maybe we should look around for a house, or even just a sign of someone who just might be spiteful towards Darwin." Bormah looked thoughtful before relying.

"Indeed. Alright darling, let's proceed with your plan then," and with that, he was moving to leave the grove.

"What about Darwin?" Dailan said and moved to stop him.

"Hm? Oh yes. Leave him, no one will bother a corpse in this place." Dailan could not believe what he was hearing and watched in shocked silence as Bormah covered the corpse with layers of moss and leaves. The cover up job was rather convincing and Dailan moved to follow Bormah as he left the grove.

Dailan wondered where Bormah was heading, as he looked as though he knew exactly where to go. Dailan watched his thick, green feathers rustle in the wind whilst feeling the all-familiar tinge of jealousy. He wondered why everyone thought he was attractive, he was an ordinary green warbler-finch, nothing special at all, until it hit him. Bormah turned suddenly then, and it was as though Dailan saw him in a new light. His blue eyes looked aethereal in that moment; his bright green feathers even brighter, and most of all, his plump-thick attractive body. Bormah was otherworldly beautiful. Dailan snapped out of he reverie as Bormah gave him a questioning look.

"I uh… I'm just thinking about things," he said in response to the look, very flustered. Bormah smirked then; his angelic features twisting into ones of mischief.

"Oh?" He said, raising a feathered brow, "indeed you are. Now raises are next question; what exactly were you thinking about, darling? Bormah dragged out "darling" as seductively as he could, and Dailan knew right away.

"Uh… uh, nothing, nothing of importance!" Dailan managed to squeak out. Judging by Bormah's widened grin, that was not a satisfactory answer.

"I see then. So you weren't, perhaps, thinking about how good I looked right? About how much you wish you could taste my sweet beak and even sweeter member?" Dailan couldn't reply, Bormah had hit the nail on the head. Bormah then moved closer to Dailan, until they were inches apart; beaks just grazing. "Is this what you want then?" Bormah teased with his breath, "a big strong finch to lift you in his wings? No, but of course not. What would Darwin think of his little prize then hm? All spoiled and rotten from big-bad Bormah." The way he said his name… so full of hatred and disgust. He brought his beak to Dailan's ear and whispered something so sinister that he was certain he misheard it. Bormah backed away from Dailan then, and resumed his flight to wherever he was initially heading. Still shaken from the exchange, Dailan hesitantly followed.

After what felt like hours, the two stumbled across the most strange looking pond either had ever set eyes on. Dailan immediately moved towards it when he felt Bormah's wing hold him back. He gave him an irritated look; as if the oaf new a thing about this place.

"I know what you're thinking darling, and I assure you that I know at least enough to be wary of such a place. Where beauty exists in a place so," and he guestered to their decrepit forest surroundings, "dark, bad things often follow those who fall victim to the illusion." Dailan took in their surroundings then, and gasped at the sight; numerous fallen trees littered the ground and even the ones still standing looked dead. Despite this however, the dead brush managed to keep the forest floor rather dark. Bormah let go of Dailan and he immediately missed the warmth from his bright-green wing.

It must have been hours, or so Dailan thought as they wandered aimlessly through the forest. Had they truly been wandering, with no clear destination? Or was Dailan only fooled by Bormah's act of superior confidence? Either scenario seemed likely at this point and Dailan was done with the charade.

"Enough," was all he said, and Bormah stopped his path to turn and face him.

"Yes? What is it now?" He grumbled as Dailan grew more irritated at his response. "I hope you realize that your dawdling only hinders our progress to help Darwin."

"Just listen to what I have to say!" Dailan cawed, "I wish to know why we are in such a foul place, and why you seem to know where we are going and not at the same time." Bormah considered his words carfully before replying.

"I knew someone… once," was all he said before continuing his journey. Dailan couldn't believe how hard it was for the fool to give him a straight answer. Still fuming, he followed without another word.

The sky was an aetherial blue with wispy white clouds strewn about as if they are trying to claim as much territory as they can before being whisked away to nothingness. The trees seemed to sparkle as he tilted his head to the left, and then to the right; little fairies danced across the trunks, landing on large mushrooms that contained a strange yellow liquid that looked sweet, if he would be daring enough to taste. The place smelled wonderful; unlike anything he had ever experienced in his long life. Sweet, fresh, and brisk air filled his nostrils as he inhaled slowly and deeply. It was almost as if the angels themselves dwelled here from time to time, to get a break from their heavenly duties. Perhaps this was Heaven, that would be nice. He walked towards the crystal stream that he only just noticed and dipped his hand in. The water was like liquid diamond; so clear that all the strange creatures that were swimming below could be seen despite the ripples. He brought the water towards his mouth…

"Yes… just a taste… is all you need…" a strange voice echoed suddenly.

Startled, he dropped the water back into the stream and stood quickly. He looked all around him to find where the voice had come from but he wasn't entirely sure it came from anywhere specific at all.

"Here, I am here…" a different voice said, much more familiar. He spun again, and this time he saw her. Golden wings doused in ebony, white pearl marking its claim upon the darkness, eyes that shone like the sun itself.

"Celeste…" her name rolled off his lips like velvet, taking in the sight in front of him. He started to run towards her and was met with a warm embrace of wings around his neck.

"Darwin... my love," she tweeted, softly into his ear. She pulled back to look into his eyes. He studied her face, it looked as if he hadn't seen her in a millenia; foreign and different, yet the same. A look of melancholy and concern danced across her features. She opened her beak as if she were to say something very important but instead closed it again.

"What is it my love?" He said, desperate to see happiness in her face once again.

"Be careful, you must be diligent in who you trust," she said. Darwin was dumbfounded by this strange and out of place statement. Before he could muster a reply, she spoke again. "Wake up."

"We're here," Bormah chirped as they saw a busted up house in the distance. Dailan squinted to better see what he was looking at, but it still seemed as he first saw it.

"That's what we traveled all this way for?" Dailan asked, his annoyance seeping into his words. Bormah ignored it however, since letting it bother him would benefit neither of them.

They approached the house cautiously, checking for any signs of someone being there recently, however this was highly unlikely. The small birds slipped in easily through a broken window and began searching for… whatever Bormah was so keen on finding. The smell of the place assaulted Dailan as soon as he entered and he stifled a cough. It smelled of rot; rot of every sort. He wouldn't be surprised if 20 people had died here and remained still.

"What are we looking for?" Dailan asked in a vain attempt to distract himself from the abhorrent odor.

"Look for two small vials, about the size of both our feet side by side. They should twin each other, though they may not be found together. Let's spread out." Dailan complied and started to search the place thoroughly. There were old books strewn all over the place, and it was so dark and musty, he bumped into a few walls while flying around. The smell intensified as he neared this particularly grotesque bookshelf and so he decided to investigate further.

"A hidden bookshelf entrance, how clique," he murmured to himself as he reached for a super obvious lever shaped like a bird. It wasn't just any bird, it was a finch, and it certainly wasn't just any finch, he thought as he leaned closer to inspect it.

"What are you doing?" Bormah snapped suddenly, and Dailan startled.

"What does it look like?" He barked back, "you asked me to look around and that's exactly what I'm doing. Look here, this finch lever… it looks so much like,"

"Like me?" Bormah interrupted. This was indeed what Dailan thought, but he decided to keep that knowledge to himself.

"I was going to say a green warbler-finch, but I suppose that means it looks sort of like you too I guess."

"I'm much more unique," Bormah stated arrogantly, and Dailan rolled his eyes in response.

"Anyway, this is a lever," he said, and reached to pull it.

"No!" Bormah yelped, "we don't know what's down there, and we certainly don't want to follow that horrendous smell." He had a point.

"I'll check upstairs then," said Dailan, and he headed off. Bormah let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and watched as Dailan fluttered off.

Upstairs was about as dingy as the first floor had been, if not more so. Dailan began to search around for these vials, still confused about what they actually looked like. He entered the first room to his left and was not surprised to find a bedroom. He fluffed around a bit; through the sheets of the bed, the pillow cases, drawers, cupboards; nothing. 'There is nothing here,' he thought to himself, 'I bet that fool is wasting my time, wanting Darwin to die all the same.' He stormed out of the room and just as he was about to give Bormah a piece of his mind, something caught his eye. A small sparkle of light, reflected off of a metal object where the meek daylight outside would hit it at one specific time each day. He moved toward it and caught his breath at the sight. The vial was cylindrical and roughly the same size Bormah had described, with a metal band wrapped around each end, one of which Dailan assumed was the opening. The liquid inside was a black abyss. He picked it up carefully and moved to go back downstairs when suddenly he felt this overwhelming sense of dread and frantically looked around for the source. He couldn't see anything, but the feeling just kept getting worse. 'Downstairs, get back downstairs!' He thought desperately. As he took flight, one of the old dusted windows smashed open. Instead of the light Dailan expected to come through, darkness took its place. He let out a breathless scream and dashed for the stairs, the blackness following ever closer; the dread growing ever stronger. The wall approached sooner than he anticipated and he smashed into it ungracefully. It slowed him, but not enough to be consumed. Dailan skidded into the room where he left Bormah, finding to his dismay, that he was nowhere in sight. Dailan cursed to himself and made a dash for the finch lever. He pulled it and flew down the passage faster than he'd ever flown in his life. He found a lever at the bottom of the stairs and slammed it down just in time to seal the pursuing darkness on the other side. The door thumped with anger, and after a moment, an ear piercing screech echoed through the house. The sound was unlike anything he'd ever heard before and he collapsed to the ground, covering his ears. Once the sound receded, Dailan slowly got up from the ground. He looked down at at the spot where his wings covered his ears and saw what he assumed was blood, since it was extremely dark down here. Dailan took a moment to scan his surroundings as much as he could. It was dark, that was obvious, the old stairs were oak, he thought, and probably the floor and walls as well. A small lantern on a nearby table caught his eye, and he moved cautiously towards it. The thing still had oil in it, Dailan thought flabbergasted and reached for some matches that were lain close by. Once the room illuminated, the sight stilled him in his very tracks. Blood. Everywhere. Old and dry, the blood covered every surface he could see. There was some sort of unpleasant looking device in the far corner of the room, which couldn't have been any bigger than a standard basement. Dailan knew one thing for sure, that it was not used for anything good. If someone were to describe a dungeon, this is what he would have pictured. He moved closer to the device and had to hold back a gag from the smell. The smell was unbearable from the first floor; down here, he felt as though his nostrils were burnt to a crisp. There was a heap of cloth on the device that was the source of the smell and upon closer inspection… Dailan backed away immediately. "Dear Lord," he stammered, "thi- this can't be!" The body that was lying on the device was fresh, no more than a few hours old. He backed up and vomited into a corner. "I've got to leave this place!" He panicked. Dailan fumbled his way to where he left the vial, grabbed it, and flew up the stairs. He peered out of the secret door to make sure whatever evil was here earlier, lurked no longer. Bormah was still nowhere to be found and Dailan began to worry. The vials weren't of any use unless they were together, or so he'd been told. There was always a possibility that Bormah was lying, that bastard was always so shady.

Dailan circled around the house to check if Bormah was around. He wasn't. Dailan prayed that one vial would be enough to help Darwin, but his hopes were low. Dailan's heart ached as he thought of Darwin. "I will return soon, my love." That, was a promise.


	5. Chapter 5

The night stirred. Swirling shapes spun around him as he stood, facing her. She was not her, at least not how she used to be. 'Why,' he thought, 'why me?' It was as if she heard his thoughts, as her face twisted into one of pure malice. "She spoke no words, nor sputtered a breath, the look she gave him guaranteed his own death." These words echoed in his mind. Were they his, or were they not? He didn't know. She moved forward and grabbed hold of his neck. He was naked- vulnerable. She was giant. She never used to be that way. He sputtered as he tried to breath; slowly losing his footing as he lifted off the ground. There was no light, only darkness, hate, pain. No, this isn't her, and he stirred.

There it was, just as he had left it. Dailan rushed towards the grove, not caring about how exhausted he was from the return trip. It felt like the world was in slow motion as he entered and lifted the moss which covered Darwin. Four days felt endless when you were on a mission of life or death. He remembered when he first set eyes on Darwin, he had always thought he was beautiful. It's been exactly three months since they first met. He had kept track of every single day that has passed since. Even in just those three months, Dailan noticed a change in Darwin. His hair had lost the last bit of red it contained from his youth, his crows feet and laugh lines were much more pronounced, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and finally, he had gained about twenty pounds. None of these things bothered Dailan, as they were everything about Darwin that made him Darwin. He was happier than he'd ever been those three months, according to the whispers that were always echoing through the sanctuary. This was until Celeste went missing. That infuriating finch was always his favourite, and even the other finches in the sanctuary worshipped her. Everyone thought she was so great and so amazing, Dailan thought otherwise. He saw through her charade of gifts and goods, her unwavering loyalty, her ever-present kindness, oh yes he did. He heard the gossip behind his back, the snickers and cruel words, the malicious intentions. He went to Darwin once on this issue and remembered that day well. He remembered the way Darwin looked at him, a look of pure betrayal; as if even the thought of Celeste in anything but golden light was a crime in itself. Dailan was never the same after that day. He spent more time alone, though it didn't halt his pursuit of Darwin. He thought about him constantly, brought pleasure to the thought of him constantly, fantasized about him constantly. It was after this day that he thought, maybe he has miseen all the dark things about Celeste and that maybe it was his own jealousy that clouded the truth. Yes, that must be it.

Dailan questioned his own existence then, as he stared upon the spot where Darwin had lain only a few days ago. No, only a few minutes agos. Dailan reached for the spot where he had rested and it was still warm to the touch.

"No… no…" he stuttered, "this, this can't be happening." He sunk down into the now empty spot and took in Darwin's scent. It smelled like him, but also like corruption. Tears welled up in his dark chestnut eyes and threatened to spill down his dirty green cheeks. He let them run down his feathers and onto the quickly cooling earth, he needed this. Dailan let all his emotions out then, an all consuming sadness that had slowly built over his time spent away from Darwin, maybe even since the day he knew he would never have him. "The day I knew I'd never have him, that's right. I… think I always knew deep down, and now, it's time to accept that," he said matter-of-factly. Dailan continued to cry for a few moments more until realization dawned upon him. Someone had taken Darwin from this place, broken and bleeding. Someone took him, his Darwin- no, not his. It didn't matter, he needed to get him back. Dailan's sorrow rose into uncontrollable rage as his blood boiled, and his heart roared. "You bastard!" He yelled at the sky, "I will find you, and you'll pay for this!"

Dailan soared away from the grove, hitting trees, brush, leaves, pretty much anything as he flew from that place. He didn't have a clue as to where to start, he just needed to do something to cool his rage.

He ended up at the river where he had cleaned up whilst waiting for Darwin to recover, unknowingly that he never would unless those vials were administered. He flopped around in the cold water, hoping the temperature would cool his soaring heart.

After at least an hour, Dailan flopped back onto the shore. He gazed at his surroundings, and at the damage he had caused during his fit. Broken branches littered the ground and other trees where they had gotten stuck, moss that had made its home on trunks and nearby soil was derooted, blood was splattered around the ground near the shore, most likely his own. He ran a wing over his furrowed brow and took in several deep breaths. He looked up into the night sky.

"Dawn will come soon," Dailan looked to where the voice had come from.

"You did this, it was you, all you, always you," she hissed. He pulled away from her. She wasn't her, he kept telling himself. His was an angel, she was a demon. She moved closer and repeated those same words, each time more echoing and deep. This time he heard her right in his ear and a cold chill crept up his spine. Corruption. He could sense it coming from her; her aura, her essence. He looked away, desperate to bring his attention to anything but the creature before him. He had been here before, but it was also foreign and strange. The river still ran, but now it was murky. The trees still sang songs, only this time they sang of death. The grass still smelled, but not of fresh earth, not even of natural decay. The odor permeating from this place smelled of hell itself: rot, old, corruption, evil. Maybe that is where he was.

His face was jerked back to face forward again, to face her, by her. "You did this, it was you, all you, always you!" She roared, slashing across his left eye, rendering him blind. Her words never changed as she continued chanting directly into his face. His fading vision caught a glimpse of her; an enormous creature that resembled... a finch, he thought. He couldn't think clearly. Black liquid oozed from her razor sharp teeth. Teeth? He was slipping. Her ice blue eyes pierced his soul as she whispered into his ear once more.

"You're mine," and he fell.

Dailan's anger rose once again as he slowly turned to face the one person he really didn't need to see right now. He was angry calm. "There is nothing you can say to me that will make me hate you less, so do yourself a favour and get out of my face before I remove you from it."

"Look… darli-" before Bormah could even finish, Dailan was upon him.

"This is your fault, you monster! You said you Darwin would be safe here and look how that turned out? We spent days looking for those god-forsaken vials, and now we don't even need them anymore!" Dailan spat as he ferociously clawed at Bormah's face, wings, really anything he could get his talons on. Bormah blocked most of the attacks with his wings but one especially nasty claw nicked his left cheek and took some feathers.

"Ouch, Dailan please, if you'd just listen!" Bormah said before being pecked at his throat. Bormah lost any minimal patience he had then, and countered Dailan's next attack, sending him flying to the ground. Bormah prepared to dive at his neck, but with an "oof," Dailan rolled out of the way. He rose immediately and landed on the larger finch's back, pecking and clawing at his neck relentlessly. Bormah bucked him off and sent him soaring straight into a tree. Dailan's head cracked with impact and he saw stars briefly; dizziness wreaking havoc on his mind. A large claw closed around his throat and tightened instantly. Gasping for air, Dailan met Bormah's icy gaze. The look in his eyes were feral, wild, but there was also a darkness to it, one Dailan had seen once before. The memory of that creature from the house, the smell, the sound, it was too much and Dailan thrashed wildly, like a mouse caught in a trap where the impact hadn't quite killed him, yet.

Bormah released his hold suddenly, looking around as if he had lost himself momentarily. He met Dailan's gaze, a dazed look in his eyes, as if he knew it would be too easy to kill him. Dailan stared back, shooting daggers while also trying to regain his breath. Bormah stalked towards him, slowly, his dazed gaze turning into one of hunger. Dailan's eyes shot open and he backed up as far as he could before hitting the tree where not moments earlier, breath evaded him.

Bormah placed a wing on either side of him, inching closer and closer. Dailan's heartbeat doubled its previous pace and sweat trickled down his dirty and battered face. He could feel the rush from battle, the panic from being breathless, all warping into something different, something familiar. He silently cursed himself for losing control so easily. Bormah stared at Dailan so intensely, that time seemed to have stopped. His icy eyes were slowly losing control again. Dailan could feel his ragged breath on his face, getting heavier by the second, his own breath matching in intensity. The tension between them was becoming unbearable. Dailan shifted, as his hardening member was becoming uncomfortable, but that only brought attention and Bormah's gaze shifted downward. Dailan stifled a gasp as Bormah chuckled, huskily, and met his gaze once more, this time however, a smirk stretched across his face.

Bormah smashed his beak into Dailan's with so little control that he lost his footing and fell into him. His large wings cupped around Dailan's back, holding him flush against his chest. Dailan felt lost in Bormah's embrace. It felt so wrong, yet so right, as if he needed to confirm that he no longer needed Darwin's love. Dailan pulled back for air, took a few breaths and smashed his beak back into Bormah's again, and he reciprocated with equal ferocity. Bormah's wings snaked their way down Dailan's back and cupped his plump rump. He gasped as Bormah squeezed his backside and moaned into his shoulder.

"Yes, little dove," Bormah hissed in Dailan's ear, "let me hear you." Dailan couldn't think, and certainly not clearly enough to even register what was happening right now, and with who. That was another regret he could deal with tomorrow, all he cared about right now was how he felt.

Dailan moved his wings to Bormah's trunk and squeezed hard enough to elicit a moan from him, who quickly recomposed himself. "Now now darling, you don't want to do anything you might regret now." Dailan had no idea how Bormah was managing to form sentences if he was even half as flustered as himself. Bormah began to nip at Dailan's neck, smoothing them out with his tongue after each one. Dailan was moaning so loudly now, that he was sure the whole forest would hear. "Mmmm, yes, keep it up," Bormah purred into his ear.

Dailan was starting to get impatient. How dare he draw this out when he clearly knew how much he needed this? As if on cue, Bormah said, "patience dove," and continued nibbling away. Dailan was rock hard at this point, and started pushing his loins against Bormah, and he returned the gesture, giving him a nice feel at big he really was. Bormah felt huge, and Dailan knew he would be sore after this, but he didn't care.

Dailan moved to take charge but instead ended up tripping over Bormah's massive feet, taking them both to the ground. Dailan landed on top of him and began devouring his neck, this time in pleasure, rather than harm, or maybe a bit of both. His beak trailed from Bormah's neck and then back to his beak, and he reveled in this brief moment of dominance over this infuriatingly sexy finch. He left Bormah's beak and made his way down slowly, nipping, tugging, licking every feather, crease, crevice. He found Bormah's hard and swollen member and took it in his beak. He ran his tongue around the tip, swirling in circles, and then down the length. Bormah stifled a moan as Dailan took the cue to move faster. He could feel Bormah holding back and he tried to coax him on by locking eyes and creating a suction around his throbbing length.

Suddenly, Bormah pulled back to meet Dailan's eyes; his look, one of untamed hunger and wildness. He reached for Dailan's wings and flipped him over with little effort, so his cheek pressed against the dirt. Bormah leaned forward so that his ragged breaths brushed Dailan's ear, making him shiver. "Watch yourself, darling, you don't want to start something you can't stop." Bormah trailed pecks and kisses down the back of Dailan's neck, causing him to moan in delight. "You're mine now." Dailan could hear the smirk in his voice as his words settled into his core. Bormah aligned himself with Dailan's entrance and pushed in, none too gently. Dailan gasped as he felt Bormah, all of him, stretch his insides. Without even a moment to adjust, Bormah pulled back out and trust in again with such force that his grip against Dailan's hips would surly bruise.

"Bormah, slow down," Dailan muttered between thrusts. Bormah ignored his plea and continued his aggressive slamming into the smaller finch's rump. Dailan could feel his release coming, even though Bormah was clearly getting much more out of this. He cursed himself for being so easily satisfied. It was as if Bormah read his thoughts since he immediately reached for Dailan's manhood with one talon and stroked vigorously. He flipped him over, planting hot, wet kisses across his chest, and finally reached his length. Dailan's eyes shot open as he felt Bormah sucking his member, reaching for his head as grip. Thank goodness finches were flexible enough to suck and fuck and the same time Dailan thought, pleased. He had never felt anything so good in his entire life. Bormah's tongue worked its magic, swirling, stroking, grabbing. Dailan's climax reached its peak so quickly that he was completely unprepared for it. Just before he spilled over, Bormah pulled out and entered him again, this time so they could lock gazes; icy blue with muddy brown; light and dark. He trust a few more times until his last one was ragged and Dailan felt his cock pulsing inside. Both finches came simultaneously; twitching in sweet release. Dailan felt a foreign hotness fill his core, just as his own cum squirted over Bormah's chest; getting lost in his feathers. They collapsed then, Bormah over top of Dailan; his weight crushing him.

The two slowly regained their breath, still buzzing from the pleasure. Neither of them moved or spoke, as there didn't seem to be anything to say, or perhaps if words were spoken, the moment would be ruined. Dailan decided on the later and both remained still as the golden rays of morning lit the darkness of night.


End file.
